Author: Zaheerah

A twenty-something reader. Slowly making her way through the endless pit that is her TBR pile.
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Series Review: Into Shadow Collection

by Zaheerah1 Comment on Series Review: Into Shadow Collection
Series Review: Into Shadow Collection

In this collection, seven fantasy authors release their stories in collaboration with Amazon as part of their first Original Stories collection. 

The Garden by Tomi Adeyemi 

Years after her mother disappeared in search of a mythical place called the Garden, Yuliana is determined to uncover the truth. 

This was one of the weakest stories in the collection. The Garden follows Yuliana travelling in Brazil with a guide to a mythical garden, hoping to find what her mother couldn’t. It sounds promising, except all we’re given is a tourist misbehaving, as the writer tries to convince you otherwise. This story was meant for a bigger stage, but even within these pages, Adeyemi couldn’t convince me. I like the concept of alternating prose and poetry, but what does it say when the prose reads better than the poetry? 

Persephone by Lev Gossman

Young Persephone hides within herself, especially since her father’s disappearance five years ago, but when the school bullies go too far, she discovers a power that might be the key to everything. 

Without giving too much of the plot away, I was surprised by the turn this story took. But Persephone’s voice drips with the stereotypical behaviour of a Disney Channel teen protagonist. I found the plot rather intriguing, but the tone of voice felt dejected and separate from the girl we see on the page. 

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow 

Spared from death to fulfil a destiny, can the girl who became a weapon find her worth under the watchful eyes of the Prince? 

You have probably already seen this short story makes its rounds through social media, and for once, a story lives up to the hype. Six Deaths is a beautiful short story, speaking directly into the desire of the girl who has been told repeatedly to sacrifice everything for the empire’s good. Harrow evokes every emotion possible in such a short amount of words; what a bitter-sweet tale for a girl who deserves so much more. 

“I would rather love a coward than mourn a legend.” It was 2 am, and I was on the floor. 

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Review: This is How You Fall in Love

by Zaheerah1 Comment on Review: This is How You Fall in Love
Review: This is How You Fall in Love

Rating: 1 out of 5.

*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Zara has always wanted her own love story. A real kind of love. But when her best friend Adnan accidentally tells everyone they’re dating to hide his actual girlfriend, Zara doesn’t know what to do. The news of her relationship appears to lessen the arguments between her parents, so maybe this isn’t all that bad. But how long can they pretend to be in a relationship without straining Adnan’s real one, and can they keep up pretences in front of their friends without ruining everything?

Yeah, this wasn’t very pleasant. I should’ve known I would feel this way after Adnan became an absolute prick towards Zara. By the time we reached the end of this story, it felt like nothing had been added to the overall plot and characters. Even as best friends or fake lovers, Zara and Adnan held no chemistry whatsoever.

The bulk of the story hinges on Zara and Adnan’s relationship; they constantly remind each other that they are the best of friends and nothing else matters because the strength of their friendship should trump all. Adnan insists that despite his new relationship, his friendship with Zara will not falter, but then he continues treating Zara terribly for the entire story. He fails to consider her feelings while he gets the best of both worlds; he gets the girl and gains the adoration of his family for finally “dating” Zara. And what does Zara get? Despite convincing herself that this fake dating would distract her parents from arguing, nothing substantial actually happens. They still fight, upsetting Zara, which defeats the purpose of what she is supposed to be benefiting from this relationship. Adnan doesn’t even do much to keep his end of the bargain; he continues to publicly flirt with his girlfriend in situations where their plans would definitely get them caught; Zara will then have to swoop in to correct the issue, causing arguments between the three of them.

This book would have done well to undergo some further brainstorming. A lot is going on, but nothing really sticks out. Zara and Adnan don’t respect each other, their “plan” lacks any action, and there is just so much going on in the background that the story falters because it doesn’t know where to focus its plot. On top of their fake plan and familial issues, there is also a side plot of Zara’s friend who wants to make a documentary of her new relationship and an anonymous Instagram gossip account that is strangely forgotten for most of the novel.

There’s not much else I can say about this book. Poor Zara. She deserves a lot better.

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Review: Yellowface

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Review: Yellowface

Rating: 2 out of 5.

*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

When Juniper Song witnesses her rival Athena Liu’s death, she does the unimaginable: she steals a manuscript about the contributions of Chinese labourers to the war efforts during World War I. She submits it to her agent as her own work. From there, June receives a career revival; she makes the lists her debut failed to reach, and she is invited to significant events that shunned her years before; Liu’s story makes her a star. But how far can she go living in Liu’s spotlight? Or will someone from their past drag her back into the shadows? 

I genuinely commend R.F. Kuang for traversing into a genre that is not typical of her fantasy sphere, but I did not enjoy this as much as her previous releases, which is true heartbreak. Yellowface is dark and grim, a witty tale about the state of the publishing industry and the erasure of non-white voices. Kuang knows how to write messy people, and Juniper Song might be the greatest example of that. I thoroughly enjoyed how the story highlights several problems within the publishing industry.

Perhaps, in her way of being meta about publishing, it felt too much. At one point, I was just wondering if I was reading my Twitter timeline. Yellowface is undoubtedly well-written, but the narrative voice was perhaps unbearable and repetitive to the point where even at the end, where we see her antics reach their peak, I was glad to be done with her. 

This book will be great for another reader, but for me, it just wasn’t working. In an attempt to be satirical, Yellowface falls flat in a tale that I would call Book Twitter on a regular Monday. 

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Review: Ithaca

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Review: Ithaca

Rating: 3 out of 5.

*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Ithaca recounts the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus, who awaits her husband’s return from the Trojan War. Seventeen years into the war, the people of Ithaca grow worried as the speculation that Odysseus is dead invites suitors to begin knocking at Penelope’s door. No one is worthy enough to stake a claim to Odysseus’ empty throne, but a cold war is brewing, and any choice Penelope makes may plunge her kingdom into a devastating war. Only through her spy network can Penelope regain control, but all eyes are on her, and if she’s not careful, Ithaca might pay the price. 

Ithaca is one of the newest additions of Greek retellings that have made it to our shelves recently as we follow Penelope tread the fine line between the silent wife and while regaining possession of her city until her son is ready to take the throne. But the suitors are getting restless as the island struggles to deal with the pirates that appear on the shores every full moon. To make matters even worse, Penelope’s cousin, Clytemnestra, is rumoured to have fled to Ithaca with her children hot on her trail, seeking revenge for their slain father. 

Very little time is spent in the original Odyssey focusing on Penelope’s decades-long wait in Ithaca, so in this retelling, it is refreshing to see her hold her own. North’s rendition is somewhat straightforward but feels seamless to the original tale. While this is the story of Penelope, she is not the storyteller. Instead, Hera and her biting tongue narrate the tragedy of Ithaca, which is a surprising but welcoming addition to the tale. 

Ithaca was an enjoyable exploration of Penelope’s tale. While I didn’t find myself as compelled as I thought I would be, this isn’t the end of Claire North’s rendition, and I am indeed impressed enough to see her carry the tale to the end. 

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Review: This Is Not a Personal Statement

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Review: This Is Not a Personal Statement

Rating: 3 out of 5.

*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

When Perla Perez fails to get into Delmont University, her carefully planned future slowly falls apart. In a moment of panic, she forges her acceptance letter and heads to Delmont for real, deciding to scope the campus and use her newfound knowledge to improve her application to reapply for the next semester. As she breaks into campus accommodations and lies to her classmates, Perla must decide if this dream is her choice. 

Perla Perez, you have stressed me out to the point where I feared I was going to lose my hair while reading about your scheme. Reading this was trying to juggle my entertainment while also preparing Perla’s grave for her at the same time. Never has a book made me so tempted to flip to the ending to lessen the heart attack this child was giving me. This Is Not A Personal Statement is so unserious that I ended up enjoying the anxiety-inducing journey. 

Perla, a child of immigrant parents with high hopes for their children, is picture-perfect. As the youngest graduating senior at her high school, Perla is so sure that all that stress will be worth it once she gets into the college of her dreams. Except she doesn’t, and she’s adamant about fixing that. So she convinces her parents that her entire first semester (including board and tuition) is free when she plans to use that semester to experience college life and improve her application for next semester. My favourite experience from reading this book was reaching the 3/4 mark and realising that Perla had committed at least five different crimes already. 

To be more serious in this review, Perla’s story (if you squint and ignore the madness) was quite thoughtful, as the main takeaway from this story is about young children and the pressure they face to exceed the academic expectations placed on them. Perla goes through some serious character development which is a surprise. I found her actions to be quite bratty and rude in some moments, swiftly corrected by background characters that deserved a lot more of the spotlight. The lack of character development in all the secondary characters is what I would consider the significant drawback of this book. 

Usually, I consider books like this a disappointment, primarily due to the lack of depth in the characters. Still, honestly, the chaotic nature of this entire plot made this hilarious to read. Suspend all your disbelief when reading this book because it makes it much more enjoyable.

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Review: One Dark Window

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Review: One Dark Window

Rating: 5 out of 5.

*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Elspeth Spindle lives with a monster in her head. She calls him the Nightmare, and in the mist-locked kingdom of Blunder — he is her saviour. When a mysterious figure attacks Elspeth, she finds herself joining a dangerous journey to protect the people of Blunder from losing any more people. Working alongside the people who should want her dead, she must gather the twelve Providence cards, each capable of dangerous magic, to stop the senseless killing of her people. But the Nightmare’s protection doesn’t come for free, and Elspeth might not be able to resist his control. 

One Dark Window was the exact book I needed amidst my reading slump. This review was written up a few months after reading it, and I still think about this book to this day. Rachel Gillig, you will need to start paying rent for how much space this book takes up in my mind. 

Mists have enshrouded the kingdom of Blunder for years as punishment for the Shepherd King, who bartered with the Spirit of the Wood for magic that formed into twelve different cards. Anyone who finds themselves lost in the mist is taken, and children can catch a deadly fever that, if they survive, will leave them with powers unique to them, even its aftereffects. Any child discovered with magic must be turned over to the King and put to death. 

Elspeth barely survived the fever as a child, everyone assumes that nothing happened to her, and she is happy to live a quiet life with her aunt and uncle, evading the watchful eyes of the Destriers, a particular unit formed to deal with those affected by the fever. The truth is that Elspeth hides a secret spirit within her, the one named the Nightmare, who lends his strength in her moments of weakness. When Elspeth turns twenty, she is expected to return to the socialite life of Blunder, which brings her to the attention of the new head of the Destriers, who enlists Elspeth to help him recover the providence cards — find the cards, release the mist, he says. And with the help of the Nightmare, Elspeth can see the providence cards even if they are hidden. But finding the remaining cards proves to be a much more complex task than anyone expects, and can Elspeth and her new friends fix the problem, or the price of magic be too high to pay? 

One Dark Window is an unbelievable story of secrets, magic and intrigue. From the first chapter, I was immediately hooked. Some readers might find the beginning relatively slow, especially until the highwaymen appear, where the story truly begins to flourish. But I loved it. I adored how Gillig took the concept of forbidden magic and made it her own. The use of a magic system inspired by tarot cards was unlike anything I’ve read. Elspeth is determined and strong; her relationship with the Nightmare was my favourite aspect. The yellow-eyed spirit who speaks only in rhyme does well to remind Elspeth that magic has a cost, and she would be wise to think before she accepts any offer from him. The found family aspect was a surprise to me but an excellent addition to the story. Even the romance, while predictable, grew naturally with each page. 

Overall, One Dark Window was an absolute joy of a read. Gillig has a promising series on her hands that is reminiscent of old fairytales with evocative prose and atmospheric settings. I’ll eagerly be counting down the days until its upcoming sequel. 

Below, I also drew some fanart for the book! I don’t usually do this, but after finishing the book, I really wanted to try my hand at making fanart!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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